The Horse Dealer and his many wives
This is the history and life of
James Josiah Mitchell
My third Great Granduncle, James Josiah Mitchell, was born May 26th, 1852. According to his niece, Annie Mitchell, who wrote the *"Mitchell Family Sketch", James was born "in or near Kankakee, Illinois". His parents were Josiah Fuller Mitchell and Charlotte M. (Ingalls) Mitchell. His father, Josiah was known for : bee keeping, mining, auctioneering, entertaining with his violin, his prized horses and more.
James was the brother of: a half sister, Maggie Mitchell (by his father's first wife, Harriet), full siblings: Alonzo Winfield Mitchell (whom also went into Horse Dealing with him for a time), Ellen Melissa Mitchell, Roxanna (Roxy Anne) Mitchell and Sarah Delphine Mitchell. Then 3 half siblings (by his father's third wife Ollie Stone Ayers: Elizabeth Naomi Mitchell, George Frederick Mitchell and Bessie Mitchell.
James has been a very interesting man and relative to research. The Mitchell family in general were the most adventurous group of people, they were known as great entertainers, some even becoming Showmen.
James was a little boy at the time when he and his family removed from Illinois to Howard County, Iowa by covered wagon drawn by ox teams. Per Annie Mitchell: "They arrived to their destination New Oregon ( a town now extinct) on August 8th, the next month. There they settled on a homestead on what is now known as Mitchell Creek." "The next year Josiah (James's father) moved his family to Osage, Iowa." "Then they moved back." The family then lived with Josiah's father-in-law until 1860." "In 1862 Josiah was caught in a blizzard and fell victim to a severe cold and cough." As Josiah's illness continued he was advised by his doctors to move to a warmer climate. The climate of aim, was the one in the Rocky Mountains. In 1864, the family decided Josiah needed to go West, it was also decided he would take his 16 year old son, Alonzo "Lonnie" (James's brother) with him. The rest of the family would stay behind in New Oregon, Iowa.
*Citation: Annie (Mitchell) Fritz, personal family narrative named the "Mitchell Family Sketch". This family narrative is not available online as it is in our own personal family papers.
James was 12 years old when his father and older brother left in the Spring of 1864. His father had gone away for slightly over 3 years, leaving James to spend most of his teenage years without his father's guidance. I imagine, he had to grow up fast. In 1866, James lost his younger sister, Roxy Anne, who was 11 years old, to disease. In 1871, his mother, Charlotte passed away, James was only 19 years old at the time. In 1872, James's father married Olive Stone Ayers, they went on to have 3 children. It is hard to say how all this affected James or how some of these years shaped what transpired in his manhood. James's life goes on to be wrought with drama, moving from state to state and marrying 4 wives and possibly a 5th.
James was a Horse Dealer all his life. The Mitchell's bred horses and won awards in Howard County for their stallions.
November 11th 1868, at the age of 16 years old, James wed Sarah White in Howard County, Iowa. Sarah would be wife number 1 for James. On July 9th of 1869, James and Sarah had their first child, a daughter they named, Frances Nevada Mitchell, nicknamed "Frankie". She was born in Cresco, Howard County, Iowa. By the time they had their 2nd child, Maud May Mitchell, the family might have moved from Iowa. As an adult in Maud's censuses and other documents, she says she was born either in Kansas, Iowa or Wisconsin. It's like she just isn't sure where she was born. So let's say during that period, we are unclear where the family was located.
By December of 1880, James and his wife Sarah were living in Waverly, Bremer county, Iowa. In December of that year, James files for divorce from his wife, Sarah, in Bremer county court. He stats to the court, that he is worried that she will succeed in murdering him. When you take a good hard look at James's full life, after this marriage, you get an idea what sort of man he might have been. This leads me to believe, he might have been a ladies man of sorts and philandered a bit. I'd bet, this is why she might have felt this angry about him going out each night, threatening she would poison him with strychnine if she had to.
Below is the 3 page divorce document:
Dated December Term 1880
District Court of the State of Iowa in and for Bremer County.
James J. Mitchell Plaintiff VS. Sarah Mitchell Defendant.
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Source: Bremer County Court in Bremer County, Iowa. 1880.
THE 2nd WIFE
In June of 1880, Six months prior to James's divorce from his 1st wife, he is found living with Ella Grace Black's family as a border. Occupation listed: Dealer in Horses.
Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Waverly, Bremer, Iowa; Roll: 329; Page: 374a; Enumeration District: 080
In December 1880, the same month that James's divorce is final, he marries his second wife, the one he was bordering with, ELLA GRACE BLACK. They marry on on the 20th. He obviously had this relationship going during his marriage to Sarah (White). Now we see why Sarah was so outraged. In his marriage document to Ella Grace, he is listed once again, a Horse Dealer.
Citation: Iowa Department of Public Health; Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Marriage Records, 1880–1922; Record Type: Marriage. Description Volume: 300 (Adair - Cedar).
Around 1881 James's brother, my third Great Grandfather, Alonzo Winfield Mitchell, is selling horses with him.
Oct of 1881, James and Alonzo's father, Josiah F. Mitchell passes away from Bright's Disease while he had been living in Silvercliff, Colorado. This was a great loss for the family.
The split of Ella Grace and James: Per Annie, the niece of James, she states, that he and Ella Grace moved to South Dakota, where she divorced him and was able to keep the land they had there.
I have not been able to find any children that transpired during this marriage. I also have not found a newspaper ad stating a request for a Separation or Divorce. No land documents have been found.
THE 3rd WIFE
Enter stage right, Lizzie Kirby! This wife's story with James is a doozy! James removes himself from Bremer County, Iowa to Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska. When he exactly left South Dakota, I don't know. However, we find a newspaper article from the:
Lincoln Journal Star dated: May 12, 1891
and on page 4, the title reads:
"THEY WERE WED IN A HURRY!"
According to this article they married fast to avoid the old folks coming home before they were done. I am guessing, those old folks were Lizzie's parents. It also states, James was working on a farm. I was able to locate a barn / farm that went by the name THE ORIENTAL STABLE a.k.a The Oriental Livery Stable or the Oriental Barn.
In the 1891 Directory for Lincoln, Nebraska, the same year that James married Lizzie Kirby, I found a James W. Mitchell as a foreman at the Oriental Stable. I believe this to be our James but they made a mistake on his middle initial.
Citation: Title: U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Author: Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/987658300?tid=176777069&pid=292303406463&ssrc=pt
James J. Mitchell & Lizzie Kirby's Marriage Document
In the document below, you can clearly see this is our James J. Mitchell, as he lists his parents as: Josiah Mitchell and Charlotte Ingals. The marriage is dated: 11th day of May, 1891. James is 34 years old and claims he was born in Illinois and his residence is Lincoln, Nebraska. Lizzie is 28 years old.
I will have to find the citation for this document.
I found Lizzie in the 1891 directory for Lincoln, Nebraska working as a Cook in the Merchants Hotel.
The Drama begins!
In this article from the Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska, dated, Saturday, September 4th, 1897, on page 1.
the title reads:
CHIEF PARKER PUZZLED.
This is a real work of art to be honest.
In a nutshell the articles says:
The chief of police is questioning Lizzy (Kirby) Mitchell about a letter he received from a man in Woodland, Wisconsin. The man has made a complaint against a Miss "Libby" Mitchell. He said he believed the lady was in the habit of answering matrimonial advertisements in the paper and requesting the man with whom she is in correspondence send her money. He said he had received a lot of letters from her and sent them to the police officer. He told the officer he had offered to come there to see the lady and she said it was impossible. He told the chief he thought the woman was using mails for fraudulent purposes. Lizzie thinks this must be one big joke. The Chief can't make sense of the case.
Here is my sneaking suspicion and this is only my thoughts not fact: James realized he wanted out of the marriage and was trying to come up with some story to make his wife look bad. James had an Uncle with family in Wisconsin. Could he have gone there? Well, you as the reader, can make up your own mind. Next, Lizzie tried to commit suicide.
6 days later, Lizzie tries to end her life!
According to the Lincoln Journal Star dated Friday, September 10th, 1897 from Lincoln, Nebraska on page 2, Lizzie tried to end her life by taking Chloroform. She would not tell the cause of such an act.
This next Newspaper article from Lincoln, Nebraska, the Lincoln Journal Star, dated Friday, September 10th 1897, on page 1, gives us the very sad reasoning for Lizzie's state of mind.
Title:
WEDDING GRIEVED HER!
This article is a bit different saying she took Opium to end her sorrow. Her husband had left approximately two weeks prior, took a new life companion and moved away. She said she loved him with all "the ardor possible and presumed her feelings were reciprocated and she did not know until the contrary until yesterday. When she discovered for the first time that his wedding had taken place. She said she could not stand this so she wanted to leave the earth."
Lizzie demands $10,000 for Damages!
Things heat up according to the Lincoln Journal Star for Lincoln Nebraska, dated: Tuesday, September 14th, 1897. On page 3
Mrs. Lizzie Mitchell
"WANTS $10,000 DAMAGES"
"Mrs. Lizzie Mitchell Contemplates Suing an Unfaithful Suitor.
Mrs. Lizzie Mitchell, who attempted to quit this vale the other night by taking chloroform or opium, has authorized an attorney to commence suit today for $10,000 damages against an alleged unfaithful suitor, whom she says got her into trouble.
An effort was made to effect a settlement yesterday but the prospective defendant is said to have told her she would never get anything as he would confess judgement for the amount, his property or what he was being so placed that she could not be benefited by the confession."
That was all we heard of Lizzie.
WIFE NUMBER FOUR...and FIVE!
Now, this one he must have liked, he married her twice, or is this a case more like "The War of the Roses"?
1893, James married his fourth wife, ELLEN E. KARNEY in DeSmet, South Dakota.
Notice the year! He married Ellen while most likely still married to Lizzie. Also the South Dakota part is interesting, did he meet her while going back to visit his children, who most had at one time lived with wife number one in South Dakota? My mother also reminded me that some of James's mother's Ingalls side lived in South Dakota.
Many on genealogy sites confuse Ellen E Karney with James's 2nd wife Ella Grace Black. They are not the same woman. They have different parents etc.
Here is another HOT tidbit!
By 1900, James had moved back to Iowa. In the Le Mars, Plymouth County, Iowa census for that year he is living with Ellen and they have a daughter, Nellie Mitchell. Nellie is 9 years old! That means that daughter was born prior to that 1893 marriage! She would have been born in 1891, the year he had married Lizzie Kirby! However, the census photo below shows she is 9 years old born in 1890, in South Dakota. So, could she really be Jame's 2nd wife's daughter, as they were from South Dakota? I have never proven she had children but she certainly could have? More research needs to be done when it comes to Nellie.
1900 Census for Plymouth County, Iowa
James J Mitchell is 48 years old, says married in 1893, born in Illinois and is a Dealer in Horses. Wife Ellen E says she is 41 years old, born in New York and works as a Laundress. Nellie is 9 years old born in South Dakota and it says at school.
Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Le Mars, Plymouth, Iowa; Roll: 453; Page: 13; Enumeration District: 0099; FHL microfilm: 1240453. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/4120116_00043?pId=4391696
ELLEN WANTS A DIVORCE IN 1900!
I could not find may details around this time period, but in this same year a Newspaper article was published in the Missouri Valley Times in Missouri Valley Iowa, dated: Thursday, February 15, 1900. Page 4 article titled "COURT AT LE MARS."
The bottom portion of the article has:
"Ellen E. Mitchell, of this city, prays for divorce from her husband, James J. Mitchell. Her petition states, she was married to the defendant in DeSmet SD in Sep 1893. She asks for divorce on the ground of cruelty and habitual drunkeness and states she is in bodily fear of the defendant."
A second Newspaper article from the Le Mars Semi - Weekly Post published in LeMars, Iowa dated: Tuesday, February 13th, 1900 says:
"Ellen E. Mitchell of this city asks for a legal separation from her husband, J.J. Mitchell, on the ground of habitual drunkeness and inhuman treatment. She says he has frequently beat her and threatened to knock her brains out. Her attorneys are McDuffle & Keenan."
Ellen must have gotten a legal divorce because the craziest thing happens. She remarries James in 1902!
Published in the Le Mars Semi - Weekly Sentinel, published in LeMars, Iowa on Monday, November 24, 1902, page 4:
"Mrs. Ellen E. Mitchell of this city and James J. Mitchell were united in marriage on Thursday, November 20, by Rev. A. C. Martin, pastor of St. John's church. Mr and Mrs. Mitchell were formerly married but have been divorced. They have now concluded to venture on a second matrimonial voyage together. They will reside on Court Street."
This was the reason on her marriage document in 1902 to James she has listed this her 2nd marriage and her name in that document was Mitchell not Karney.
1902 Marriage document, LeMars, Plymouth County, Iowa
Citation: Iowa Department of Public Health; Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Marriage Records, 1880–1922; Record Type: Marriage. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8823/images/42563_fp030872_0113-00231?pId=3906764
1904 the LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, published in Lemars, Iowa on Tuesday, October 31st, 1905 writes:
"Mrs. J.J. Mitchell and daughter Nellie went to Sioux City yesterday to visit friends."
So can this mean she is the mother of Nellie?
1904 page 4 of the LeMars Sentinel, published in Lemars, Iowa on Tuesday, March 22nd.
1904 also brings great sorrow, James loses his eldest and closest brother, Alonzo to suicide. Alonzo in a state of melancholy, on the eve of his wedding anniversary, shot himself in the heart.
By 1905, the couple still lives in LeMars, Iowa. They can be found in the census for that year.
After 1905, I lose track of Ellen, Nellie and James.
WE JUMP TO APRIL 1919 in WELDONA, COLORADO!
James buys property in the same city, Weldona, Morgan County, Colorado, his daughter from his 1st wife, Maud May Mitchell is living in. Maud had married 1st, Arthur Graham and 2nd William Hoxie. She was living with William during this time.
Citation: "Sterling, Logan, Colorado, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T2-Y98Z-2?view=explore : Aug 31, 2025), image 417 of 1005; United States. National Archives (Denver, Colorado). Image Group Number: 101153945
1920: James is found in the census for Weldona, Colorado.
Info on census: Name: James J Mitchell, Age: 68, Birth Year: abt 1852, Birthplace: Illinois, Home in 1920: Weldona, Morgan, Colorado, Street: Highway Street Weldoner. House Number: X, Residence Date: 1920, Race: White, Gender: Male, Relation to Head of House: Head, Marital Status: Widowed, Father's Birthplace: Illinois, Mother's Birthplace: Illinois, Able to Speak English: Yes, Occupation: Farmer Labor, Industry: Farm, Employment Field: Wage or Salary, Home Owned or Rented: Owned, Home Free or Mortgaged: Free Able to read: Yes, Able to Write: Yes.
So in 1920 James is claiming he is a widow. If this is true then Ellen E. might have passed away between 1905 and 1920. I have not yet found a death record for her.
THE LAST LEAP!
Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado
For this last chapter in James's life we really are relaying on his niece's account of the family. She claims he died in Colorado Springs and is buried there. What happened in Colorado Springs and is this him that I have found?
1923 Directory for Colorado Springs lists a James J. Mitchell.
Citation: Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/12660557?pId=737774421
1927 Directory for Colorado Springs
Citation:
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/14954646?pId=946629505
IS THIS JAMES GETTING MARRIED AT 75 YEARS OLD?
Here me out on this one: We know James likes to marry. He is the same age as this man. Could he have just used a different middle name in this record? Very possible! Notice his bride is only 24 years old. The date of this marriage is January 23, 1928. This would be 6 months prior to James's passing. I found that Lucile A. Mitchell, was a widow of Jas. J. Mitchell in the 1929 Directory for Colorado Springs.
1929 directory for Colorado Springs listing Lucile Mitchell as a widow of Jas. J. Mitchell.
Citation: Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/14894791?pId=940619411
If this was James he decided to go in true James J. Mitchell style!
On Findagrave they have Jame's death information:
DEATH: 12 Jul 1928 (aged 75–76) in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, USA. BURIAL: Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, USA
------------------------------------
So that was the life of James Josiah Mitchell in a nutshell! What a life! I do hope that if there are direct descendants out there, that they might share in the comment section more that they know about James. Me, as a Great Grand Niece, I only know so much but holy cow, he sure lead a life!
Thank you once again for stopping by my blog,
please peruse my other posts. I did one just the other day on James's father and brother and their gold mining claims in Montana. Go check it out!
Sunny :)
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